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Author
Topic: My New HIV drug "Vonavir" (Read 11461 times)

I live in India and I was on Viraday for the first 4 months, my doctor recommended to have "Vonavir" from Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd which is bit cheaper then Viraday. For the past one month I am on "Vonavir" which is the same composition like Viraday and I am saving Rs.700/- so for 30 tablets it cost me Rs.2500/- (54 USD). I am happy with the reduced cost. You might consider having "Vonavir" I now have a choice

Nate, Are you in the U.S. Ive seen a few posts from people asking if anyone in the U.S. is takin Viraday but I have never seen ayone respond that they were. I see from your posts that its working for you. How easy is it for you to get the medication? Do you order it monthly? Thanks.

Yeah...Im in Central Texas. I was on Atripla and getting iit from the David Powell Center in Austin under ADAP. But then "W" was nice enough to cut funding for ADAP so when the new formulary for Texas came out, I "made too much money" Thats the biggest joke in the world!

They said I made too much money and I should be able to afford my $80/day HIV medication, and pay my rent, and food and utilities, gas, car insurance, etc... I think I was only making like $2500/month!!! so I dont know how their formulary says that on $2500/month I should be able to afford ALL of my monthly expenses and my $2400/month for Atripla on my HUGE salary!!!! Has the world gone MAD? But those people dont care...they just work there.

Any ways.... I digress... I just needed to vent about how screwed up the system is!!!

I met David an HIV drug activist and one of the founders of HIVgenericdrugs.com who is also HIV positive awhile back at an AIDS walk in Austin and he told me he was taking Viraday for about a year (before that he was taking the combo Efavir (generic Sustiva) and Tenvir EM (generic Truvada) ) and was non-detectable and had a CD4 of 780.

He swore by Viraday and highly recommended it. I did alot of research on the internet about it, and talked to a couple of gay nurse friends of mine who said they knew of other patients taking Viraday with no problems. ( a few of the patients they knew were taking Vonavir, just to be clear)

So I did it. When I started about a year ago, I was non-detectable and CD4 of 496, then I was at non-detectable and CD4 540 and now after a little over a year I am non detectable and my CD4 is 670 and still climbing. ( Im healthy enough now so I only test once every 6 months!!! THANK GOD!!, cuz I hated the every 3 month thing...always scared me when I had to go in for testing ( you all know that scary feeling deep inside when you have to go in to see your numbers )!!!YIKES)

I honestly believe the pharmaceuticals companies are just terrorizing people to scare them into not buying generics because I have seen they are starting to lose money to these Indian companies and thats not making them happy.

When I found out that my own government was quietly buying these same drugs under PEPFAR to bypass the pharmaceutical companies, I thought to myself " WHY SHOULDNT I BE DOING THE SAME THING AS MY GOVERNMENT AND BUY GENERICS FROM INDIA ?"

I realized that when I started paying attention to things, it WASNT THE U.S. GOVT WARNING ME NOT TO TAKE GENERICS FROM INDIA....IT WAS THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, THE SO CALLED NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THEY ESTABLISHED WITH THEIR MONEY, AND THEIR FOR HIRE HENCHMEN LIKE LEGITSCRIPT TERRORIZING ME & WARNING ME NOT TO TAKE THE GENERICS.

So after I figured that out, I figured if these meds were really unsafe, the government would be shutting these people down.

I mean seriously, the U.S. government a few months ago just shut down over 100 websites all across the globe selling fake designer hand bags and purses. Come On... Seriously...they shut down websites selling FAKE DESIGNER ACCESSORIES???

If these drug companies were really poisoning people, I KNOW FOR SURE THEY WOULD BE SHUTTING DOWN GENERICS ...THEY HAVE THAT KIND OF POWER.

So I would recommend Viraday to anybody looking for an alternative to Atripla. I havnt taken Vonavir, but again, from what I've heard its also just as good. Im guessing its kinda like what do you like better, Coke or Pepsi

I get my Viraday from www.hivgenericdrugs.com and never had any complaints. David personally keeps in touch with me and answers back quick if I mail him. So I have no complaints with them.

The only thing I dont like is sometimes my meds get delayed in Customs anywhere from 3 - 10 days. I always hate that part cuz I get scared they are going to be seized, but that has NEVER happened yet. And I have noticed they have NEVER opened my envelope to look inside. I always order 30 days out cuz I am scared that if the govt reverses its decision to allow in generics, I will have a back up supply until I can figure something else out.

Oh yah, and not sound like a high skool cheerleader, I love VIRADAY !

I hope this helps some.

And keep sharing information becuz only through eliminating ignorance are we going to stop this.

I need to append my posting above, I was quickly finishing my post and some Jehovas witnesses came to the door trying to sell me some religion, and interupted my train of thought and I never finished my thought in my post.

I told them I was gay and HIV positive and busy posting online the terrors of being poz with other poz people, and unless they had some miracle in their satchel for me besides a pamphlet telling me I was going to hell, I needed to get back to my posting. To say the least they were stunned as I closed the door in their faces

So to correct my previous post after my rude interruption...

I started on Viraday about 2 years ago not 1 year ago. (typo in the post). And since my numbers 1 year ago of CD4 670 I am now after 2 years non-detectable and at CD4 862.

Sorry for the mistype, I hate it when people try to solicit me at the door when Im deep in thought typing!

There was a lot in the news recently here in India -about India flouting the WTO rules regarding HIV drug patents, but then the Indian Govt intervened cos- then the drugs would become unaffordable for the poor in India as well as other developing countries (for which India is a major supplier). So for the time-being the prices of these HIV generic drugs are not going to be comparable to the price in Europe/ US etc.

Yeah...Im in Central Texas. I was on Atripla and getting iit from the David Powell Center in Austin under ADAP. But then "W" was nice enough to cut funding for ADAP so when the new formulary for Texas came out, I "made too much money" Thats the biggest joke in the world!

I think the expectation is if you are making 30k+ a year you should be receiving health insurance from your employer. Not that you could afford the meds at full price. Yet another reason why employer based health benefits don't work. If you are a contract worker or self-employed then you aren't able to get a group plan which would provide reasonably priced meds and healthcare.

Nate. Obviously you have found a good source for mail ordering authentic, real, Indian generic that are what they say they are.

I agree with some of your distrust of the operations of big pharma. However, you do go on a few paragraphs in a rather too general way in defense about the basic honesty of the mail order drug business. There are plenty of consumers who do successfully order real medicine for cheaper, but there is a huge problem with counterfeit drugs in the world, whether they are name brand, or generic, they are completely counterfeit, worthless. The consumer is being ripped off financially and their health is in danger.

Perhaps this problem of counterfeit drugs is less likely if we are talking about HIV anti-virals that are mail ordered.. But that is not the only drug many mail order middle men are selling. So don't be so quick to assume that caution about mail order drugs is falsely encouraged just to shore up profits of big pharma.

(And, as an aside, I have no problem with governments going after counterfeit consumer goods, either.... I mean seriously, the U.S. government a few months ago just shut down over 100 websites all across the globe selling fake designer hand bags and purses. Come On... Seriously...they shut down websites selling FAKE DESIGNER ACCESSORIES???Why do you find this ridiculous. Some nations have to take counterfeiting very seriously because these products are important to their economies... France and Italy, for example. Anyway, even without that, the corporations that make these products do have a right to protect their brand.)

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“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need” 1875 K Marx

Not sure where you can get Vonavir in Delhi for Rs.2,500/-. You should check with your Doctor and he will suggest where to buy.. may be through a Pharmacy/medical shop or through an wholesaler or through a delear/Medical Rep. I am getting through a Medical Rep in Bangalore, He dont keep much margins and I buy 6 months bottle at a time. Works out for both of us. Good luck in your search and let me know when you find one.

Thanks hope4love, I would like to get 6 months of supplies in one go, if you could message his contact will be great. I am getting it at 3050/30 tabs. I am ok to pay the courier charges as well. Regards, Shiva

Thanks hope4love, I would like to get 6 months of supplies in one go, if you could message his contact will be great. I am getting it at 3050/30 tabs. I am ok to pay the courier charges as well. Regards, Shiva

Hi Shiva,

Have you contacted AHF, Delhi (AIDS Healthcare Foundation). It's an NGO that supplies free ARVs. You could check with them where they source their supplies. Same for Govt. hospitals.

You could buy your ARVs from any big chemist/pharmacist. Religare labs is one major one with branches all over the place. Just walk in and ask.

They said I made too much money and I should be able to afford my $80/day HIV medication, and pay my rent, and food and utilities, gas, car insurance, etc... I think I was only making like $2500/month!!! so I dont know how their formulary says that on $2500/month I should be able to afford ALL of my monthly expenses and my $2400/month for Atripla on my HUGE salary!!!! Has the world gone MAD? But those people dont care...they just work there.

Any ways.... I digress... I just needed to vent about how screwed up the system is!!!

Hardly a digression, your post! Yes indeed the world has gone mad, and everyone needs to hear your valuable knowledge and experience.

Logged

“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need” 1875 K Marx

Thanks hope4love, I would like to get 6 months of supplies in one go, if you could message his contact will be great. I am getting it at 3050/30 tabs. I am ok to pay the courier charges as well. Regards, Shiva

Good news, the person from whom I buy has agreed to courier you. I will give his details in Private message. It's always good even if you could save few hundreds. Good luck.

They said I made too much money and I should be able to afford my $80/day HIV medication, and pay my rent, and food and utilities, gas, car insurance, etc... I think I was only making like $2500/month!!! so I dont know how their formulary says that on $2500/month I should be able to afford ALL of my monthly expenses and my $2400/month for Atripla on my HUGE salary!!!! Has the world gone MAD? But those people dont care...they just work there.

"You make too much money" is always hard to hear when you're struggling. My only income right now is UI benefits, which fortunately, come to $1200 per month. I live in NYC, though, and I can no longer afford my apartment. I tried getting help from various places, but I "make too much" for assistance. I don't have a steady place to live right now or any friends or family, so it's getting a little stressful. My plan is to stay in shelters and with various, um, kind strangers , until I can save up enough from my UI benefits to rent a room from someone.

My point is that I agree. Our system is messed up. I want to work. I want to pay for a room. I don't want to do 'sketchy' things. But in the time it's going to take me to turn my UI into rent + deposit, God knows what I'm going to have to do. Best of luck to you, friend.